


Time is a Funny Thing

by softwaifu



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: M/M, Mentions of Sex, Romance, Soulmates, This is a self-insert fic I wrote for a good friend of mine, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:02:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22149121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softwaifu/pseuds/softwaifu
Summary: "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."-- Emily Brontë
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Time is a Funny Thing

**Author's Note:**

> This is a short lil romance fic I wrote as a gift for my good friend, Cole.
> 
> Enjoy!~

* * *

**  
Current Day  
**  
  
It was a quiet evening in the Clover Kingdom, which by all means, was certainly rare.  
  
Rain fell softly from the hazy gray sky, inspiring feelings of contentment and nostalgia. It was the type of weather that put people to sleep and inspired cozy quality time with loved ones or maybe even a good book and a glass of wine.  
  
As it currently was, most of the merchants had decided to close up early for the evening. They had put away their goods and locked up shop in favor of returning home to indulge in the warm feelings that the summer rain had brought. The common folk sat around their dinner tables happy and safe, for they knew that the Wizard King and his Knights would always protect them.  
  
Across the capital, away from the happy homes of the commoners, the lights of the royal castle cast a pleasant glow. Inside, the wine flowed merrily and the royals feasted heartily, enjoying the decadent company of each other. However, in the highest and quietest area of the castle, one man could be found savoring solitude instead of socializing.  
  
Far removed from the boisterous laughter and chatter below, all that could be heard here was the sound of rain pelting softly against the large glass window that illuminated the royal library. Rows upon rows of books sat waiting to be explored, and Julius Novachrono was more than willing to be the adventurer they needed. He smiled as he walked down the aisles between shelves, running his hand along the spines of the books he passed.  
  
Ditching Marx had been astonishingly easy (as per usual), and now the plan was to spend the rest of the night with his face buried in books about ancient elven magic. Pausing in front of a particularly dusty bookcase, Julius let out a soft sigh as he plucked two books from the top shelf. He was the only one in the library currently, and he planned to take _full_ advantage of the rare seclusion he found himself in. Reflexively, a quiet hum slipped from his lips as he carried the two books over to the little nook with pillows that lay beneath the main window.  
  
After taking a moment to get comfortable, Julius opened the first book and began to discover ancient healing techniques using a forbidden magic. To no surprise, his heart soared and as his eyes scanned the pages, they started to sparkle with pure, unadulterated joy.  
  
This was his happy place.  
  
The sound of the rain continued to echo around the massive room as Julius became lost in the world of magic. Time was always a funny concept for him, for obvious reasons, and it was not surprising to find the world melting around him as he fell deeper into his book. He hadn’t known how long he’d been reading when a soft knock disturbed the silence around him and quickly he felt his awareness return to him  
  
Amethyst eyes darted quickly from the words on the page towards the sound, only to find a man smiling tenderly in his direction. Julius paused.  
  
By all accounts, this was a man that Julius knew _very_ well. He was breathtakingly beautiful, with soft golden hair and kind hazel eyes. His clothes were simple. Tan slacks tucked into a long sleeved white shirt that was loosely tied with strings laced through the v-neck opening and black boots to match. His hair was neatly done, and it framed his round face in a way that was most pleasing to Julius. Although his inspection of the man was brief, the king couldn’t help but relish in the intense warmth that instantly enveloped his body at the sight before him.  
  
“My darling,” he crooned as he stood slowly with a roll of his shoulders to stretch, setting the hefty book down on the pillow next to him, “shouldn’t you be entertaining guests right about now?” 

Julius knew his husband loved to drink and socialize with friends, but it wasn’t entirely uncommon for him to wander about. Especially if it meant seeking him out.  
  
“I’ve literally been looking for you _everywhere_ , Julius,” he folded his arms as his expression shifted quickly from annoyed to exasperated, “does Marx know where you are?”  
  
Julius grinned mischievously, “Now Cole, why on earth would I _ever_ tell Marx where to find me, hm?” It was a well known fact by most that he often escaped the man he frequently referred to as his ‘handler’, but Julius couldn’t resist teasing the cute drunken man before him.  
  
Cole rolled his eyes with a huff in response, but unfortunately for him, his semi-drunken state didn’t allow him to completely hide his amusement. His brows furrowed as he felt the corners of his mouth ever so slightly begin to upturn. 

Julius knew him better than anyone, and immediately knew the annoyance had merely been a jest.  
  
With a deeply gentle chuckle, Julius glided across the marble floor over to Cole, his red robe rustling mutedly around him.  
  
“Julius, what am I going to do with you?” Cole murmured with affection as his husband drew closer.  
  
The king offered him a silent smirk as he finally stood in front of him. He smelled faintly of red wine, and offhandedly, Julius wondered if he tasted like wine too. Slowly, he brought his hand up away from his side to gently hold his husband’s face.  
  
“Oh hush,” he whispered, “you know you love me.”

Julius’s hand was warm, but Cole’s face was warmer and he absentmindedly found his thumb tracing gentle circles on his cheek.  
  
Cole leaned into his husband’s touch and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to inhale the soft smell of his love. “Hmm, very true,” he retorted with a smirk as he brought his hand up to cover Julius’s. The party was fun and the people were of course, fun. But no one compared to his husband, and so he had left to find him.  
  
The king hummed with content as he leaned down and placed a delicate kiss on Cole’s inviting lips, lingering for a brief moment before pulling back to gaze once more into his now open hazel depths.  
  
Without breaking eye contact, Julius lazily wet his lips in an effort to savor the brief taste of his husband. “Sweet merlot,” he whispered tenderly. Julius loved Cole more than anyone or anything, and it was in moments like these that he felt truly lucky. Lucky to have someone so perfect to accompany him on his life’s journey.   
  
Julius knew from the moment he met Cole, that he would be someone special to him.  
  
“Do you remember the night we met?” Cole mused

Julius realized then that his mind had begun to wander, though apparently not far from his lover’s.  
  
“Mm, how could I forget?” he breathed before leaning down once more to capture his husband’s lips with his own. This time however, he did not pull away.  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
 **12 Years Ago**  
  
  
“Marx, tell me again why I need to attend this ball?”

Julius was looking into the full length mirror before him as he fiddled with the new pins on his robe. Tonight there would be a ball for the royals and magic knights, but all he wanted to do was go out into the kingdom to find some mischief to get into. Preferably involving cool magic.  
  
Julius sighed with a frown at the thought of talking petty politics instead.  
  
“Sir, please t-this is just a formality,” he stuttered, “these men and women are _your_ knights now and as the newly crowned king you must hold a gathering to acquaint yourself with them. It’s tradition...”  
  
Tradition? Julius grimaced into the mirror at his reflection. This was ridiculous, he already knew all the knights! He was one himself until two months ago!  
  
“There are new recruits that have been added to the ranks as of last week,” Marx interjected before Julius could protest once more, “...please, it’s a good opportunity to get to know them.”  
  
Julius supposed that was reasonable. Besides, it wasn’t that he disliked the people. It was just that there were better and more fun things to do than socialize with people he already knew.  
  
But the new recruits changed things a bit. He had known there were new recruits but they had only added three new members, all of them to different squads. Usually he’d meet them right away, in disguise or otherwise, but he’d been too busy getting to know all of his new duties as wizard king.  
  
Julius grumbled. The situation couldn’t be helped.  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
2 hours and a few glasses of champagne later, Julius was starting to somewhat enjoy his evening more than he had originally planned. Classical music resounded around the ballroom, just barely reaching over the loud chatter of the guests. All the knights were dressed formally in suits and gowns and Julius had to admit, it was quite amusing. Especially young Yami, who looked very out of place in a tux, he surmised. His eyes flitted over to the man in question. He was sitting at a table in the corner with his head down, perhaps asleep. Not really a surprise, honestly.  
  
Julius sighed. He’d made the rounds and discussed mostly politics. Politics of the kingdom, politics of the knights, and even politics of the royals. It was utterly boring, but he had pushed on and made sure to grace every one of his precious knights with a warm smile. He cared for them and their mission so much, and he was truly grateful for all of them. He just wasn’t a fan of gossip.  
  
Julius raised his champagne to his lips but before he could drink, he paused. From the corner of his eye, he spotted something extremely abnormal. And magical.

An unknown man, a new recruit perhaps, in a Gray Deer cloak seemingly evaporated. Disappeared? No, that seems incorrect. He could sense this mysterious person now on the terrace that was just outside. Perhaps it’s a new kind of teleportation magic? It certainly was not like any spatial magic he currently knew of.  
  
Setting his glass down on the table, Julius waited for Marx to be distracted before standing and making his way towards the massive doors that led to the outside terrace. Quickly and quietly, he slipped out into the humid summer night.  
  
The bright full moon cast it’s glow over the entire castle, giving Julius a clear view of the mysterious man he’d been intrigued by. Said man was leaning against the balcony railing that overlooked the garden, slowly sipping on a glass of red wine. He was of a medium build and fair skin, with golden hair only a few shades darker than his own.  
  
It was in this brief instant that Julius felt electricity burst to life within him.  
  
Warmth bubbled up from within, and the smile that graced his features in response was unlike any other. For the first time that evening, it dawned on Julius that he was genuinely, truly excited. Without hesitation, Julius began to move forward.  
  
The man seemed unbothered as Julius settled next to him on the balcony in silence. That is, until he finally turned to look at who had interrupted his intentional seclusion. 

An expression of pure awe immediately appeared on the man’s face, and at the sight, Julius felt his heart clench almost painfully. 

This man… his eyes were so pure and kind, so insanely magnificent. Hues of green and brown, large and full of life. He had never felt so frozen in time before, so utterly captivated by another person’s presence. It was as if the breath had been stolen from his lungs, and he was sure he looked just as taken with surprise, if not more so.  
  
“Julius…” the man whispered.  
  
His voice was like warm honey and the sound of it had Julius’s heartbeat quickening further. What was this _feeling_? It wasn’t magic, he would know for certain if it was. No, this was something entirely new. Was this…?  
  
Minutes passed in silence before Julius realized he’d been staring. With a quick cough to clear his throat he finally managed to find his voice, “W-what kind of magic do you use?” he stuttered.  
  
Great, good job Julius. Smooth. You’re supposed to be the great Wizard King.  
  
“Um…” he started before taking an abnormally large gulp of his red wine, “it’s kind of like spatial magic.”  
  
“But it’s not?” Julius inquired further. The man smiled, “No, it’s not.”  
  
Julius hadn’t heard of any modified versions of spatial magic before. Just who was this new recruit?  
  
“What’s your name?” Julius fully leaned against the balcony now and shifted his full attention towards the knight.  
  
“Cole Sebastian.”  
  
  


* * *

  
 **Current Day  
** **  
****  
**The crackling of the fire soothed Julius, and as he tightened his embrace around Cole who lay sleeping next to him, he felt complete peace wash over him. The two had gotten carried away in the library very quickly and had decided to retire to their bedroom early. A few hours of love making later, and the better half of the two had quickly fallen into an exhausted slumber.  
  
Julius sighed with content as he looked down at his husband. Looking back on that memory now, it was obvious that it had been love at first sight. Cole had confided in him much later that he'd felt much the same.  
  
Two awkward men, fumbling with nervousness, passing half-hearted flirtatious phrases back and forth. 

The rest of that first night had been a long one. The two of them had talked about numerous topics into the wee hours of the morning, and Julius had to double check he hadn’t in fact used his magic when the sun had started to peak over the horizon onto the garden. They’d been so engaged with each other, time had simply flown by.

It had been fate, or destiny, or whatever you want to call it, to ditch that ball and meet each other on the terrace.  
  
Julius yawned sleepily, and as he closed his eyes to join his husband in sleep he thought of all the different ways Cole made his life better.  
  
Cole was everything to him, and he’d be everything to him forever and always.


End file.
